Gluten-Free Apple Cinnamon Muffins

A classic fall favorite- the pairing of apples and cinnamon. Stir them together in a muffin batter and you have a sweet and cozy breakfast treat that is not only heart warming and soul satisfying but super easy to wrap and freeze. That is, if you don't eat every single morsel first. These little gems would be a fabulous side nosh for Thanksgiving brunch- or a casual supper of Curried Butternut Soup.

It's a gray flannel sky kind of day here in the high desert. Chilly and damp. Steve is watching The Great Escape as I nibble on a warm apple muffin. It's been a historic week. I am still re-viewing on-line videos of our President-Elect with gratitude and awe, thankful that hope, grace and smarts prevailed despite the ugly drumbeat of fear, fueled by prejudice and the age old tactic of scapegoating and button-pushing, appealing, of course, to the lower instincts of our reptilian past. The old and rusty paradigm is giving birth to the new on a collective level. And I feel it in my bones and in the air that I breathe.

I am grateful. Hopeful. And eager to greet change.

It's all good.

Apple Cinnamon Muffins Recipe

Originally published November 2008.

Using buckwheat gives these fragrant gems a nutty heartiness I enjoy. If you don't care for buckwheat, use your own favorite gluten-free flour blend for the 1 and 1/2 cups flour in this recipe.

Bake in the center of a preheated oven until firm and golden- about 20 to 25 minutes or so. Test with a wooden pick if you need to. Remove the muffins from the pan and cool on a wire rack.

Wrap and freeze for on-the-go treats. Thaw at room temperature or briefly zap in a microwave if you like your muffins warm.

Karina's Note on agave:

I made these with 1 cup organic brown sugar and found them to be the right balance of sweet; but I receive so many requests for agave as a sub I included an alternative. If you like your muffins less sweet start with 1/2 cup agave. Taste test the batter. If you need more sweetness, add more. You may need to adjust baking time.